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Allen,
Anderson, Atchison,
Barber, Barton,
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Hamilton, Harper,
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Johnson, Kearny,
Kingman, Kiowa,
Labette, Lane,
Leavenworth, Lincoln,
Linn, Logan,
Lyon, Marion,
Marshall, McPherson,
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Morris, Morton,
Nemaha, Neosho,
Ness, Norton,
Osage, Osborne,
Ottawa, Pawnee,
Phillips, Pottawatomie,
Pratt, Rawlins,
Reno, Republic,
Rice, Riley,
Rooks, Rush,
Russell, Saline,
Scott, Sedgwick,
Seward, Shawnee,
Sheridan, Sherman,
Smith, Stafford,
Stanton, Stevens,
Sumner, Thomas,
Trego, Unified Govt. of Wyandotte/K.C.,
Wabaunsee, Wallace,
Washington, Wichita,
Wilson, Woodson
Kansas Counties
 Click Image to Enlarge Kansas CountiesKansas has 105 counties, the sixth-highest total of any state. No Kansas county has two words in its name. Wyandotte County and the city of Kansas City operate as a unified government, and Greeley County and the city of Tribune are in the process of converting to a similar system. |
Riley County, KansasRiley County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
Etymology - Origin of County NameReceived its name from the adjacent military post which was established in 1853, and called Fort Riley in honor of General Riley of the United States army. Demographics:County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts County HistoryRiley County, one of the counties organized by the first territoriai legislature in 1855, is the second county east of the 6th principal meridian, the second south from Nebraska, and the fifth west from the Missouri river. It is bounded on the north by Washington and Marshall counties; on the
east by Jackson and Shawnee; on the south by Wabaunsee and Geary, and on the west by Geary and Clay. As originally organized its eastern and western boundary lines were almost identical with those of Marshall county extended south, and the southern boundary was the Kansas river. Between the years
1857 and 1873 several changes were made in the county lines. The eastern line was moved west to the Big Blue river; the western 8 miles west to the present location; Geary county was enlarged from Riley county territory, and additions were made to the latter from Wabaunsee and Geary, forming one of
the most irregularly shaped counties in the state. Fort Riley was established as Camp Center in 1853 to help defend against raiding Indians. It was renamed Fort Riley later that year in honor of Major General Bennet Riley. GeographyThe area of the county is 617 square miles, or 394,880 acres. The surface is generally undulating, except for the limestone bluffs along the Blue and Kansas rivers, which form the eastern and southeastern boundaries. There are several smaller streams, of which Fancy creek flowing from west to east across the north, and Wild Cat creek flowing southeast across the central portion are the most important. The bottom lands along the streams constitute about 20 per cent. of the total area. Magnesian limestone, cement rock and potter's clay are found in paying quantities. Neighboring Counties:
Cities and Towns:
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County Resources
The history of our nation was a prolonged struggle to define
the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local.
And the names given the counties, our most locally based jurisdictions,
reflects the "characteristic features of this country!"
But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history. Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally." |
